It was early Tuesday morning and, as usual, I was running late to my 9:30 a.m. art class and shoving a Cinnamon Roll Toaster Strudel in my mouth as I quickly locked the door to my apartment and raced to the elevator. I clicked the button and waited for a long two minutes. As I stood there and caught up on my Snapchats, I heard a “hey," from someone I hadn't noticed walking towards me. It was a girl I had never seen before, who apparently lived on my floor, saying hi to me out of nowhere. After replying, I tried to think of where I'd seen her before and nothing came to mind. Then it hit me -- a stranger was simply being kind by acknowledging my presence and greeting me.
In the less-than-thirty-second elevator ride, I thought to myself how interesting my encounter with this girl was. Since I live in an apartment-style dorm, I don't really associate with anyone on the floor other than my roommates. Since August, my roommates and I have always said how odd it is that no one says hi to each other, and it's kind of a weird known social thing that no one really does unless you are friendly with the person.
This is not how a college environment should be. Everyone always feels the awkward tension there is when you walk past someone you kind of know from the frat party last weekend, but don't think they remember meeting you, given the circumstances of your first encounter. Everyone has had that situation on the bus when you have to sit next to the kid you had lab with, but never got his name or a formal introduction. Everyone knows someone who knows their sorority sister, and is roommates with their friend from home, who is dating that kid who lived in your building freshman year. Encounters like these happen more often than not, and I am here to say that things like that are only awkward if you make them awkward.
It's not that hard to say hi and show acknowledgment that an acquaintance is walking right past you on campus. So many people panic, look down at their phone and pretend they are sending a super important text to their mom. Why do we do this? Why do we make things more uncomfortable than they should be? Maybe it is social media that has changed the way humans communicate with each other, or maybe it is just that people care so much about what a potential friend thinks of them and don't want to be awkward.
Life can definitely be less stressful when you shake someone's hand, tell them your name and greet them when you see them after that. Who cares if they think you are overly outgoing? Wouldn't it be better to be friendly than an introvert with resting b***h face?
After my elevator encounter with the girl on my floor, I have kept my eyes open and face up when walking around campus. I have looked at my phone less, and the people who pass me by more. I am learning to value social interactions with humans more than I value my iPhone. I have also seen the friendly girl in my building almost every day in the past week and have said hi. Why not?
Let's break the social norm of being unfriendly, reserved, and too cool, and greet the kid you used to see in the study lounge of your complex, even if you have no idea what his name is.
